Subject: Central Pacific: Satellite Interpretation Message

From: LDM Weather <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:30:11 -0600

124 
ATHW40 PHFO 281230
SIMHI 

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SATELLITE INTERPRETATION MESSAGE
NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI
1230 UTC TUE DEC 28 2010

BASED ON DATA THROUGH 1200 UTC DECEMBER 28 2010

AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH REMAINS EVIDENT ON THE WATER VAPOR SATELLITE 
CHANNEL AROUND 800 MILES WEST OF KAUAI. THE TROUGH EXTENDS NORTH TO 
SOUTH ALONG 174W. WINDS ALOFT EAST OF THE TROUGH ARE DIVERGENT... 
COMING OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST OVER KAUAI AND OAHU...AND OUT OF THE 
WEST-SOUTHWEST OVER THE REST OF THE STATE. DIFFLUENT FLOW AT UPPER 
LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AID AND ABET THE FORMATION OF THE SHOWERS 
AND THUNDERSTORMS DISCUSSED BELOW.

OVER THE LAST 12 HOURS...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DECREASED IN NUMBER 
SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF THE STATE. AS EARLY AS 6 HOURS AGO...THERE 
WERE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS OVER AND JUST SOUTH OF OAHU. AT THIS 
WRITING...MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE STATE HAVE DISSIPATED 
WHILE THOSE FARTHER TO THE SOUTH HAVE INCREASED IN NUMBER AND 
INTENSITY. MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOW WITHIN AN AREA BOUNDED 
BY 20N163W TO 20N158W TO 09N150W TO 09N157W TO 20N163W...OR FROM 
ABOUT 100 MILES SOUTH OF KAUAI AND OAHU TO ABOUT 650 MILES SOUTH OF 
THE BIG ISLAND. THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE THE FARTHEST AWAY 
FROM THE ISLANDS BETWEEN 10N AND 15N. CLOUD TOPS DOWN THERE ARE UP 
TO 50 TO 55 THOUSAND FEET. THE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CLOSER TO THE 
ISLANDS ARE UP TO 45 THOUSAND FEET JUST SOUTH OF 20N.

OVERCAST HIGH CLOUDS BLOWN OFF THE TOPS OF THE THUNDERSTORMS STILL 
OBSCURE THE CLOUDS BELOW...BUT NEXRAD CONTINUES TO SHOW THAT THERE 
ARE MERGING CLOUD LAYERS UP TO 3O THOUSAND FEET OVER THE STATE. THIS 
IS IN RELATIVELY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH SATELLITE-DERIVED CLOUD TOPS.

ALSO EAST OF THE TROUGH ALOFT IS A SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST JETSTREAM 
RUNNING THROUGH 30N170W...OR ABOUT 800 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI. THE 
JETSTREAM IS CARRYING HIGH CLOUDS FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS ALL THE WAY 
TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...WASHINGTON...AND OREGON.

THE AREA AS A WHOLE...INCLUDING ALL OF THE LAYERED CLOUDS AND THE 
THUNDERSTORMS FIT WITHIN AN AREA FROM 09N TO 30N BETWEEN 150W AND 
174W. THE AREA IS MOVING SLOWLY TO THE EAST AS IS THE UPPER TROUGH 
WEST OF THE STATE.

$$

CRAIG

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